Four unidentified military-style drones breached a no-fly zone in an attempt to approach Volodymyr Zelensky’s plane. The drones flew towards the flight path of the Ukrainian president’s aircraft shortly after its arrival at Dublin Airport around 11 pm on Monday. Zelensky’s plane was ahead of schedule, putting the drones directly in its path if it had landed on time.
Ireland’s security services discovered that the drones used were large, highly expensive, and of military specification, leading to the incident being classified as a “hybrid attack.” The unidentified Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operated within the 12-nautical mile limit of Ireland’s territorial waters, circling above the Irish Navy vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats, which was covertly deployed in the Irish Sea ahead of Zelensky’s inaugural visit to Ireland on Tuesday.
Authorities promptly briefed the Taoiseach, Ministers for Justice and Defence, and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly about the situation. A meeting involving the Irish police force, Defence Forces, and national security advisers was organized in Dublin the following day.
The drones’ origins and launch locations remain undisclosed. Sources indicated that the UAVs flew for approximately two hours and likely took off northeast of Dublin. The incident violated a no-fly zone imposed by the Irish Aviation Authority over Dublin and adjacent areas for the duration of Zelensky’s visit.
This event occurred amidst a series of mysterious drone intrusions across Europe recently, leading to airport closures in Poland, Denmark, and Germany. Defense experts attribute these incidents to Russia, considering them part of “Russian hybrid warfare,” a tactic allegedly escalated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO Military Committee, emphasized the need for a more assertive approach by the alliance to deter Moscow from launching further hybrid attacks.